Tobacco measuring and feeding device



June1o,193o. J. R WYSONG 1,763,5465

TOBACGO MEASURING AND FEEDING DEVICE Filed may 9, 1928 2 sheets-sneer 1 rgim@ 56 Ime-mio@ Jamesl?. Pif/50119 June 1o, 1930. J R, WYSONG, 1,763,546

TOBACCO MEASURING AND FEEDING DEVICE Filed may 9, 1928 2 sheets-shear 2 JmesR 950115 @wv-ef am, j

Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'JAMES R. WYSONG, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR T LARUS 85 BROTHER C0.,

OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ACORPORATION OF VIRGINIA TOBACCO MEASURING AND FEEDING DEVICE Application filed May 9,

My invention relates to a tobacco measuring and feeding device, and it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this character which is simpler in construction, cheaper to manufacture, more durable, which does the work more accurately, is more economical in operation, and requires less attention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, y

Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of my invention,

Figure 2, a perspective taken from a different angle and with parts removed,

Figure 3, a side elevation with parts removed, and

`which the tobacco is discharged from a hopper 15 having a detachable mouth or bottomless receptacle 16, into which the tobacco is l bearing 22,

fed from a source of supply.

The housing is provided with a drum 17 `having a plurality of pockets 18 about its periphery which pockets are adapted to be filled with tobacco from the hopper and such tobacco discharged through the chute 13when such pocket reaches the open upper end `of the chute.` The drum 17 has a central hub 19 which is fixed upon a shaft 20, `said shaft having one end journalled in a bearing member 21, formed at one side of the housing 10, and at its opposite end journalled in a forming a yoke 23, having its upper and lower ends attached to the side of the housing 10, the lower extremity of the yulaaheing provided with a portion adapted lerial4 No. 276,455.

to cooperate with the hopper 15 and legs 11 and 12, the upper extremity of the yoke being shaped to conform to the surface of the housing 10 and lower portion of the hopper 15. In this manner as the shaft 2O is rotated, the drum 17 will be rotated in a manner to cause the pockets 18 to pass beneath the hopper 15 and receive a charge of tobacco which will drop through the chute 13 when the pocket reaches the same.

Means is provided for rotating the shaft 20, which comprises a sprocket wheel 24 driven by means of a sprocket chain 25 from the machine (not shown) in proper timed relation therewith.

The hopper 15 is formed of a pair of spaced side plates 26 and a pair of front and back plates 27 detachably held together by bolts 28,I the side plates 26 being provided with strengthening ribs or webs 29 in which are formed bearings 30 for an agitator shaft 31. The agitator shaft 31 is provided with a plurality of agitator pins or fingers 32, disposed relatively at different angles which when the machine is in operation rotate and engage the tobacco for causing` it to flow in a constant stream into engagement with the periphery of the drum 17. The agitator shaft 31 is driven from a shaft 20, through the instruinentalities of a pair of sprocket wheels 33 and 34 mounted respectively on thel shafts 20 and 31,7and a sprocket chain 35 `which eX- tends about the same.

A pair of sprockets 36 and 37 are mounted respectively upon shafts 38 and bracket 39, the sprocket 37 being nothing more than an idler, while the sprocket 36 is fixed upon the `shaft 38 and serves to drive the'same, such `shaft being provided with agitator pin'sor fingers 38 inthe bottoni4 of the hopper l5 or inlet from the hopper to the housing 10. rI he agitator shaft 38 is located at one side of theopeningl 14 so that as soon as the front ends of the pocket 18 start to pass into position to be filled, said agitator will cause the tobacco to readily fall into the saine. By this construction when the machine is operating` the chain 25 will drive the shaft- 20 carrying the drum 17, and the chain 35 driven imm shaft 20 will drive the agitator shafts 31 and 38. Means is provided for varying the capacity of the pockets 18, so that they can be caused to discharge a larger or smaller quantity of'tobacco, said means comprising a plurality of plungers 40 provided with outer surfaces curved in conformity with the inner peripheral wall of the housing and each having a forward extremity ourv'ed'in conformity with the cross section 10 of the pocket 18,thematerial being cut-away toward the rear end of the plungers to provide a structure of .relatively 'light weight, said plungers being adapted to be moved longitudinally within the pockets acrosstheperiphery of the drum for varying the length ofthe pocket.

The plu'ngers 40 are 'carriedby supporting jp-straps'41which areibolte'd to thejperipheraly vflange 42 of the support-ing disk43 rotatably mounted upon the shaft20.

' V"The shaft 20 is provided with threads 44V *adjacentithe supporting disk 43 and-a correspondingthreadedhand wheel 45 is mounted upon such threaded portion, and upon rota- 25-tion is adapted to be moved longitudinally of theshaft, such hand wheel having an annular /slot'y46 inwhich-are located the inturned ends Aof ra, pair of. pinsy 47 in threaded engagement with the disk't` 3o ,lock nuts 48.V y Y By this construction, when the hand wheel and held in fixed positionby isrotated the disk will be movedaxially` 4'along the shaft 20 carrying with it Ythe plungers. Alock nut 49 is provided which isv adapt` afedto lock the hand wheel in the proper fixed `posit-ion. Y

` In machines of this character, one problem fis tof prevent the working parts from becom- In-my device, however, I have taken a con-L 1 Asiderable step toward the elimination of the services ofv an attendant, one attendant being..- capable of caring for several machines, all of I which-are capable of being keptconstantly in operation, andthe material is so accurately measured-that a vast saving of time and materiallis effected.

' As shown, I have providedfva trap vdoor 5,0

in one side-of the housing 10, said trap door f' being' formed of a segment fof theperipheral portion `of the'housing which have pivoted at one endf'upon alpin or bolt 51,'and1to the other end ofovliich I have attached a Iclosing V spring 52 for resilientlyholding the trap door in closed position, said spring being attached to a rod 53 on the door and to an eye 54 on the housing. To one end Vof the trap door are attached a pair of felt pads 55, held in place by a metal strap 56, such pads being adapted to receive lubricant supplied from a lubricant cup 57, through a tube 58 and branch tubes 59 through the trap'door into diagonal grooves 60 on the interior of the same. v

In the operation of the machine the lubricantcup57 is supplied with the same kind of solution with which the tobacco is moistened Ain' order' to lubricate the periphery of the drum 17, such solution being supplied to the lfelt pads 55, and being appliedto theperiphv ery ofthe drum bythe resilient-pressure of scribed in the specification, but only as setV forth in the appended claims. l

{aving thus fully'des'cribed mysaidpinvention, what I claimV as new anddesire to 1 secure by Letters Patent, is

l 1. 'A device of the class describedcomprising a housing, a rotary drum in said housing,

provided with pockets in its periphery,.a trap door in thez housing, and moistening pads on the inner side of the trap door for moistening the periphery ofthe rotary drum, substantiallyas set forth.

2. AV device of the'class `described comprisinga housing, a rotary drum in said housing provided withl pockets in its periphery, and means for moistening the peripheryof the rotatable drum comprising a body curved in conformity with the periphery of the. drum and provided with absorbent means on its inner surface, substantially. asset' forth.

3. A device of the class described comprising a. housing, a rotary drum in said housing provided with-pockets iniits periphery, means forimoistening the periphery of the rotatable drum comprising a body curved tin conformity'with the periphery of the drum and provided withY absorbentmeans on its inner surfface,and means forzsupplying lubricant to the'absorbentmaterial, substantially as set [4.Thecombination of a cylindrical housing, a cylindrical ,drum rotatable in said housinga'nd providedwith pockets in its yperiphery means associated with the drum for varying the capacity of said pockets, ab-

sorbent lubricant Asupplying means .constantly engaging the periphery of the'drum for lubricating the same and for moistening the material in said pockets, a hopper mounted above said housing and having its lower end in communication therewith, agitating means in said hopper for causing material to be continuously fed into the pockets on the rotary drum, and a discharge chute in the bottom of the housing for receiving material from said pockets, substantially as set forth.

i 5. A tobacco measuring and feeding machine comprising a housing, a movable member in said housing having tobacco receiving pockets and means for supplying a lubricating and moistening solution to the wearing surfaces of the movable member and to the housing where it will be applied to the tobaeco, said means including a body, and resilient means for pressing said body against the movable member, substantially as set forth.

6. A device of the class described comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a movable member mounted in said housing provided with depressions forming tobacco receiving and measuring pockets, said housing having a removable section, and absorbent material carried by said removable section for moistening the edges of said pockets, substantially as set forth. Y

:m 7. A tobacco measuring and feeding machine comprising relatively movable members, one of said members being provided with a depression forming a tobacco receiving and measuring pocket, and absorbent means on one of the members vengaging the other member for supplying a lubricating and moistening substance to said machine in a manner to lubricate the same so that excessive lubricant will moisten the material received in the pocket, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Richmond, Virginia, this 7th day of May, A. D. nineteen hundred and twentyeight.

JAMES R. WYSONG. 

